Focus.

The 2019 Six Nations will be one to forget for reigning World Player of the Year Johnny Sexton. The Ireland outhalf failed to rediscover the kind of form that saw him named the world’s very best – and was particularly bad against Wales in the final round.

Sexton’s poor run of form coupled with the fact that he was visibly frustrated throughout the Championship – affecting his teammates around him, has resulted in him coming in for some very heavy criticism.

Former Munster and Ireland outhalf Ronan O’Gara has played with, against and coached Sexton over the years, and he says he’s confident the 33-year-old will bounce back.

“I think now he has seen that when things aren’t going well around him he has to maintain his high standards.” O’Gara stated on Tuesday’s Off The Ball AM, 

“He’s let himself down in that regard I’d say in the fact that his own individual performances haven’t been where he’d like them to be.”

“Knowing how honest he is, he’ll be the first to acknowledge that, [and] I think he will reply most definitely.”

“The short-term response will be huge out of him.”

In terms of Sexton’s attitude on the pitch and his ‘tantrums’, O’Gara says the Leinster outhalf is like him in that he can be misinterpreted because of the “sour head on him” at times.

“When it means so much to a guy, you can have different ways of showing it,” O’Gara added

“Sometimes you’d misinterpret Johnny because he has a sour head on him, and I had that head on me too.”

“It just means so much to him to win.”

But what does O’Gara suggest Sexton do to try and rediscover his form? The Crusaders coach says Sexton needs to “narrow his focus on getting his performances right” and that starts with Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter final clash with Ulster next weekend.

[Off The Ball]